A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil unrest in which race is a key factor. Such riots often reflect anger among racial minority groups that are regarded as socio-economically deprived, and often such anger is directed at law enforcement agencies who are perceived to unfairly target these racial groups. Racial profiling, police brutality, institutional racism, urban renewal, and racial identity politics are often cited as causes of these riots, although many have argued that these riots tend not to follow any sort of political logic but rather represent spontaneous violent outbursts. However, political changes in a country's national or local levels of government directed towards a certain race may contribute to this type of riot.

Australia

• Burrangong (1860-1861) - Lambing Flat riots
• Broome (1905,1914,1920) - Broome Riots
• Redfern (2004) - Redfern riots
• Palm Island (2004) - Palm Island Race Riot
• Sydney (2005) - 2005 Cronulla riots

Canada

• Toronto (1933) - Christie Pits Race Riot

Rhodesia

• Kananga (1925) - Kananga Riot of 1925

Belgium

• Nationwide (2005) - 2005 Belgian Urban Violence

France

• Nationwide (2005) - 2005 French Civil Unrest

Indonesia

• Jakarta, Surakarta (1998) - Jakarta Riots of May 1998

Malaysia

• Kuala Lumpur (1969) - May 13th Incident

Singapore

• Singapore (1964) - 1964 Race Riots

United Kingdom

• Birmingham (2005) - 2005 Birmingham Riot
• Birmingham (1981, 1985) - Handsworth Riots
• Bradford (2001) - Bradford Riot
• Bristol (1981) - St Pauls riot
• Burnley (2001) - Burnley Riots
• Liverpool (1981) - Toxteth Race Riot
• London (1981) - Brixton riot (1981)
• London (1985) - Brixton riot (1985)
• London (1995) - Brixton riot (1995)
• London (1985) - Broadwater Farm riot
• London (1958) - Notting Hill
• Manchester (1981) - Moss Side
• Oldham (2001) - Oldham Riots

United States

Nativist Period 1700's-1860

• 1829: Cincinnati, Ohio Riots begun by Whites to terrorize the Black community resulted in thousands of Blacks leaving for Canada.
• 1829: Charlestown Anti-Catholic Riots
• 1834: Massachusetts Convent Burning
• 1835: Five Points Riot
• 1836: Cincinnati, Ohio A pro-slavery riot took place
• 1841: Cincinnati, Ohio White Irish-descendant and Irish immigrant dock workers rioted against Black dock workers. When the Black dock workers banded together to defend their community from the approaching Whites, the White rioters retreated and then commandeered a 6-pound cannon and shot it through the streets of Cincinnati.
• 1844: Philadelphia Anti-Catholic Riots (May 6-8/July 5-8)
• 1849: Astor Place Riot
• 1851: Hoboken Anti-German Riot
• 1855: Louisville Anti-German Riots

Civil War Period 1861-1865

• 1863: New York City Draft Riot

Reconstruction Period: 1865 - 1877

• 1866: New Orleans, Louisiana
• 1866: Memphis, Tennessee
• 1868: Pulaski, Tennessee
• 1868: Opelousas, Louisiana
• 1868: Camilla, Georgia
• 1870: Meridian, Mississippi
• 1870: Eutaw, Alabama
• 1870: Laurens, South Carolina
• 1870: New York City Orange Riot
• 1871: Second New York City Orange Riot
• 1871: Los Angeles Anti-Chinese Riot
• 1891: New Orleans Anti-Italian Riot
• 1873: Colfax, Louisiana
• 1874: Vicksburg, Mississippi
• 1874: New Orleans, Louisiana
• 1874: Coushatta, Louisiana
• 1875: Yazoo City, Mississippi
• 1875: Clinton, Mississippi
• 1876: Hamburg, South Carolina
• 1876: Ellenton, South Carolina

Jim Crow Period: 1890 - 1914

• 1884 Cincinnati, Ohio The deadliest riot in U.S. history took place. It was started by a predominantley white mob that spanned the social-economic spectrum in reaction to their anger over the failure of a white-immigrant co-defendant to be convicted of murder in a sensationalized trial while their non-white was sentenced to death.
• 1898: Wilmington Race Riot
• 1898: Lake City, North Carolina
• 1898: Greenwood County, South Carolina
• 1900: New Orleans, Louisiana : Robert Charles Riot
• 1900: New York City, New York
• 1906: Atlanta, Georgia
• 1906: Brownsville, Texas
• 1908: Springfield, Illinois
• 1910: Nationwide riots following the heavyweight championship fight between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries in Reno, Nevada on July 4

War and Inter-War Period: 1914 - 1945

• 1917: East St. Louis -1917 East St. Louis Riot
• 1917: Chester, Pennsylvania
• 1917: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 1917: Houston, Texas
• Red Summer of 1919
  • 1919: Washington, D.C.
  • 1919: Chicago, Illinois
  • 1919: Omaha, Nebraska
  • 1919: Charleston, South Carolina
  • 1919: Longview, Texas
  • 1919: Knoxville, Tenn - 1919 Knoxville Riot
  • 1919: Elaine, Arkansas
• 1921: Tulsa (1921) - Tulsa Race Riot of 1921
• 1923: Rosewood, Florida
• 1935: Harlem Race Riot
• 1943: Detroit Race Riot
• 1943: Harlem Race Riot
• 1943: Zoot Suit Riots, Los Angeles, California

Civil Rights and Black Power Movement's Period: 1955 - 1977

• 1964: Harlem, NY
• 1965: Watts
• 1966: Hough Riots, Cleveland, Ohio
• 1967: Detroit
• 1967: Newark
• 1968: Nationwide riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• 1970: Jackson State killings
• 1971: Camden, N.J. (1971) - Camden Riots
• 1972: Escambia High riots; Pensacola, Florida

Modern

• 1980: Miami
• 1980: Chattanooga, Tenn - 1980 Chattanooga Riot
• 1992: Los Angeles In a reaction to the acquittal of all LA police officers involved in the video-taped beating of the unarmed, outnumbered, and crawling, Rodney King riots broke out mainly involving Black youth in the Black neighborhood.
• 2001: 2001 Cincinnati Riots In a reaction to the acquittal of Steven Roach after the fatal shooting of an unarmed young Black male, Timothy Thomas, during a foot pursuit, riots broke out over the span of a few days.

See also Mass racial violence in the United States

See also

• Pogrom
• Race and crime
• Racism
• Police Brutality

Riots | Race

Émeute raciale